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Comment by crdoconnor | Hacker News Reader

>The "F&B" - food and beverage - industry currently lacks nearly 7,000 people, according to government statistics on job vacancies.

^^ The real reason this press release fluff piece got printed. They want to open the immigration floodgates again.

>Restaurateurs have been experimenting with ways to address the shortage, from robots that can wok-fry rice and noodles to iPad menus and bullet train delivery systems. None, however, has so far gone to the extent of having robots fly around serving food to diners.

...or offering higher wages.

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@crdoconnor I'm from Singapore. It's not so simple. We're primarily a city state with just under 3.5 million citizens — mostly highly educated, geared towards 'professional jobs'. In short, nobody wants to work in the service industry.

Coupled with some political issues of the last 3 years (mostly resentment towards lower income migrant workers from neighbouring countries), we went from "our entire service industry — and construction and retail and manufacturing and everything other than high end jobs — IS staffed by low wage workers" to "holy shit, let's not let too many of them in and only bring in the educated folks with degrees".

This has created and worsened the labour situation. Additionally, with some of the highest residential and commercial rents in the world (on par with or similar to Manhattan), it's a very big gap to fill. I have lots of friends who run F&B establishments — and it's something they're all grappling with. Retail, too. You seem to not be able to hire any Singaporeans for the love of money, of any amount. It sucks, esp since we have super exciting growth in our food/bar scene right now.

>@crdoconnor I'm from Singapore.

Guess what?

>In short, nobody wants to work in the service industry.

...at those wages.

Australia has far higher wages for service industry workers and no problems getting workers.

>Coupled with some political issues of the last 3 years (mostly resentment towards lower income migrant workers from neighbouring countries), we went from "our entire service industry — and construction and retail and manufacturing and everything other than high end jobs — IS staffed by low wage workers" to "holy shit, let's not let too many of them in and only bring in the educated folks with degrees".

In other words, the F&B establishment got used to the cheap foreigner labor while normal Singaporeans STRONGLY resented having to compete with them. The Government, fearing further electoral damage, vowed to stem the tide of immigrants and the F&B industry is now SO pissed off that the cheap labor tap has been turned off that they've resorted to cheap drone publicity stunts with a hastily written press release reprinted by the BBC.

It's a funny old world.

Sure, but our food is $2, not $20, and we have completely different restaurant economics from Australia (or anywhere in the "Western" world).

Also, what's wrong with drones? We have a great tech industry, and the people building those systems actually know what they're doing + are solving real world business problems. If it develops the tech/hardware industry further, I have no problem with that.

>Sure, but our food is $2, not $20

Only in government subsidized, tax exempt food courts. Restaurant prices are not all that different.

>we have completely different restaurant economics from Australia

The difference is mainly caused by higher median wages (a policy choice) and the lack of government support for food courts (again, a policy choice).

>Also, what's wrong with drones?

Intrinsically, nothing. What I have an objection to is publicity stunts and public relations exercises designed to inadvertently foment support around a policy of suppressing wages.

What's wrong with suppressing wages? Ask that kindly 85 year old uncle next time you order your $2 bak kut teh from him if he feels financially comfortable enough to retire.

Nice to see someone pretend he knows all about social issues.

I don't even like that bar, now I'm going to go and have a drink there.

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